Combination rail and pipe line device



A. BURNETT COMBINATION RA'IL' AND PIPE LINE DEVICE Sept. 1, 1936.

Filed June 10, 1935 Fla. 3

1 N VEN TOR.

Arthur Burnett BY A TTORNEYJ Patented Sept. 1, 1936 PATENT OFFICE- COMBINATION RAIL AND PIPE LINE DEVICE Arthur Burnett, Halstead, Kans. Application June 10, 1935, Serial No. 25,851 1 Claim (Cl. 238-135) My invention relates to a combination railroad rail and pipe element. The object of my invention is to provide a hollow rail which'may be used for all'the purposes that rails are now used and in addition thereto, the rail may be used to form a pipe line for the transport of liquids and gases.

A further object of my invention is to provide a device of the kind mentioned which will enable the rail roads to enter into the transportation of liquids or gases in competition with pipe line companies and thereby regain the business which they have lost through competition.

A still further object is to provide a device of the kind mentioned in which the rails are tightly joined together in such a manner that the wheels of a rail road vehicle may roll over the rail joints smoothly and quietly.

A still further object is to provide a device of the kind mentioned in which provision is made for the expansion and contraction of the rails and pipe lines and still retain all the smoothness of travel of wheels over the rails.

These and other objects will be more fully explained as this description progresses.

Referring to the drawing, Fig. 1 shows a section of railroad track embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a detail in perspective of the combination rail and pipe. Fig. 3 is a cross section of a modified form of the combination rail and pipe. Fig. 4 is a detail view, partly in section showing a joint that is applicable to my combination rail and pipe. Fig. 5 is a plan view of the combination rail and pipe in which the pipe section leaves the rail section, preparatory for compensating for expansion or contraction of the rail lines. Fig. 6 is a plan view of the expansion joint for the rail lines. Fig. 7 is a vertical longitudinal, sectional view through the expansion joint. Fig. 8 is a vertical cross-sectional view through the expansion joint.

Similar numerals of reference refer to the same parts throughout the several figures of the drawing.

In the drawing is shown a tubular element l substituting for the customary web portion on which is formed a rail element II and a flange or base element l2. As shown in Fig. 4, the ends of the tubular elements l0 and Illa are provided with threaded male and female portions l3 and. I 4 so that the tubular elements l0 and Illa may be screwed together to form a tight joint, there being a gasket l positioned in the joint between the pipe elements to secure an air tight joint between the tubular elements In and Illa.

In Fig. 2 is shown the combination rail and pipe in which the joinde'r of the sections l0 and I01) is made by cutting the ends of the two sections l0 and lb square and abutting the two ends together as at l6 and Welding the joint to 5 secure a tight permanent connection of the sections ill and lilb. At I! is shown a joint between the sections lflb and lUc in which the ends of the sections are cut on an angle and the two sections are welded together in the same manner as I 10 above described. It will be understood that these methods of joining the sections are only illustrative of two ways of making the joint and other suitable methods or means of joining may be employed without departing from the spirit and intention of my invention.

In Fig. 3 is shown a cross section of a combination rail and pipe in which the pipe is of triangular shape Illa: instead of round as shown in Fig. 2. It is obvious that a section of a pipe triangular in shape cannot be screwed together, therefore in this instance welding or bolting and the like is preferable.

It is a well known fact that long connected lines of steel, such as exists in rail lines will lengthen or shorten due to expansion or contraction caused by changing weather temperatures; therefore it is necessary that provision be made to compensate for this expansion or contraction. In view of this fact, I have provided a compensating loop section D in the pipe line which is laid in a curved position as shown in Fig. 1 and as the combination rail and pipe line lengthens or shortens under temperature changes, the curved portion D of the pipe line will increase or decrease to a long er or shorter radius and thereby absorb the existing expansion or contraction without making an opening in the pipe line for leakage of the com tents of the pipe line.

Inasmuch as it is necessary for the rail portions to continue in definitely spaced parallel lines it is obvious that the pipe line must leave the rail line in the compensating loop D. Therefore as shown in Fig. 5, I have provided a combination rail and pipe section, at the left of the figure the tubular pipe portion constitutes the web intermediate the rail 1 I and the base 12. At we the pipe portion In forks outwardly from the rail, it being understood that the rail II and the base l2 at the right of the figure are integrally connected by a conventional web section. The pipe portion Inc may be provided with pipe connections as shown, or so as to be readily connected to other pipe sections in the compensating loop section D as will be readily understood.

Since the rail portions must continue in substantially straight parallel lines it is obvious that provision must be made to compensate for the expansion and contraction, above mentioned, in the straight line. Now in Figs. 6, 7 and 8 is shown an expansion joint for the rail portion of my device. A rail is formed in the usual manner except at the ends as seen in Fig. '7. The overlapping of the adjacent rails may be projected or retracted under expansion or contraction and yet maintain a continuous line ofsteel fora rail vehicle wheel to roll on.

In one end of the rail I la: in Fig. 8 is formeda pocket IS, the lower face I9 of which is slightly V-shaped in form and holes 20 extend from the if bottom of the pocket l8 downwardly through the rail to form a drainage passage for the pocket:

The upper edges of the pocket 23 extend inwardly, as shown at M and have a slot 22 inthe upper face of the rail Hm. .On the end oi-the rail l l is a tongue 23 formed to fit in the pocket l8 and slot 22 in the rail Ha: so that when the tongue 23 is slipped into the pocket lB, the upper face of the rail Na: and the upperface of the tongue 23 are fiushand the lower 'tion.

edge of the tongue 23 rests on the bottom IQ of the pocket l8 and is thereby provided with a solid bearing so it will support the wheel that is to pass over it.

At 23a: is an elongated hole through the male and female members of the rail, ii and Han, through which passes a bolt 23y to secure the sides of the female member from splitting or breaking ofi under the thrust ofrthepflange of a power wheel. 1 v 1v Such'modifications of my inventionmai be employed as lie-within the scope of the appended claim without departing from the spirit and intentionof my invention. Now having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

In a combination rail and pipe section, a base element anda'tread, element integrally connected vbyaweb element; said web element forming a tubular section for a distance inwardly from one endthereof;; thence being outwardly diverted as a pipe branching'from the axis-of the rail sec- ARTHUR BURNETT; 

